26-07-2025
How a single current keeps Shiga's ‘village of water' in concert
It's a hot afternoon in Harie, a small residential district of Takashima, Shiga Prefecture. But instead of parching my thirst with a bottle of water from a vending machine, I bend down, cup in hand, to scoop some spring water running through one of the many bubbling streams that cross the community.
Known to locals as 'shōzu' (pure water), the water is such an integral part of life in Harie that the village itself is nicknamed 'Shozu no Sato' — literally, the Village of Water.
For residents like Keiko Maeda, this access to water is much more than just set dressing. Due to Harie's unique geography within an alluvial fan tucked between the Hira mountain range and Lake Biwa, Japan's largest freshwater lake, the conditions are just right for a constant stream of mineral-rich spring water to run not just along the community's streets but through homes via a network of natural springs known as 'kabata.'
'The system first started at the town's Buddhist temple around the last half of the Edo Period (1603-1868),' says Maeda, 79, who also leads tours around her community as head of the Harie Water Village Committee. 'Then each house started to have the same type of kitchen.'
Keiko Maeda (right) leads tours of Harie's system of "kabata" springs. |
JOANNA KAWECKI
Out of 140 households in Harie, around 100 have their own crystal-clear spring that acts as a kind of well and sink. These kabata are divided into three reservoirs. The first upstream motoike basin is for drinking and cooking; the second tsuboike basin is for washing vegetables and grains and cooling fruits and tofu (the water's year-round average temperature sits at 14 degrees Celsius); the third hataike basin is for leaving dirty pots and pans to be picked clean by carp and other small fish living in the streams (a traditional wash with soap comes next).
Look closely and you'll see the streams of Harie's kabata are indeed abundant with life. There are plants like baikamo, a rare white aquatic flower that only grows in pure water, as well as miniature marine life: Tamoroko (field gudgeon), ayu (sweetfish) and sawagani (Japanese freshwater crab), among others, are commonly seen gliding through the currents in most waterways around Harie.
With a population of just 420 people, Harie's tight-knit community and the communal water that binds it mean the streams around town are treated as an extension of an individual's own home. Eco-friendly dish soap is a must, and four times per year, residents gather to trim the fast-growing mikuri (wild river grass) to ensure a clear and clean stream for the next several months.
Harie might be a tiny village, but it boasts a natural water source the envy of every community in Japan. |
JOANNA KAWECKI
'This flow of water is connected upstream and downstream, and the creatures that live there also show us the connections of life,' Maeda says. 'We trust the people upstream because they let the water come down, and then we respect the people downstream to continue the responsibility. We all respect each other to keep the water clean.'
Almost all kabata are located within private homes, and tours operated by local volunteers like Maeda offer a glimpse into how locals use them in their day-to-day lives. However, Daisuke Ishizu, owner of the local Nonki Farm, explains that the kabata system is just one manifestation of the role the water plays in residents' lives.
'What (Harie residents) have in the center of their mind is water, and that's very important,' says Ishizu, 44, who irrigates his rice fields in town with water from the kabata system. They have to maintain that spirit and make use of it to protect it.'
The carp and other creatures that live in Harie's waters aren't just a reflection of the stream's purity. They also help clean dirty plates. |
JOANNA KAWECKI
Restaurants in the area also prepare dishes using the pristine groundwater, and in the neighboring district, sake brewery Uehara Shuzo has been producing nihonshu for 162 years with water from its own kabata and 80% locally-grown rice.
Taking under an hour from Kyoto Station, the journey from Japan's ancient capital out to Harie makes for a pleasant day trip, with views of Lake Biwa and the vast Hira mountains on the other. Upon arrival at Shin-Asahi Station, Harie is just a 10-minute walk.
Entering private residences to view kabata is prohibited, but the Harie Water Village Committee conducts private tours of several homes (advance booking required; ¥1,000 per adult, ¥500 per child). For more information, visit
Travel and accommodation for this story were provided by the Biwako Visitors Bureau. No portion of this story was shared with any third party prior to publication.
